Long sit information

For those that have an interest in doing the three hour long sit that is held weekly in Mesa Arizona, this page may help with any questions you might have.

First of all, it is best to arrive at least ten minutes early in order to acquaint yourself with a room that you are going to have your eyes closed in for three hours, the extra time is useful for getting acquainted with the others joining  the meditation as well.

There are no breaks in this three hour meditation but there are no rules about getting up to use the restroom or even standing next to your cushion for a while as some do.  This is the type of meditation that can be very difficult for one to set aside the time and do on there own, it is much easier to do in a group  because we are much more mindful about sitting still and quiet also, once we settle down to do a meditation for a specific time frame with a group of people, we are more apt to stay with it, sort of like team spirit.

The long sit should not be looked at as a marathon meditation; the element of time should be disregarded as much as possible, this will occur on its own the more the practice is done.

The long sit is not recommended for first time meditators because it could give a person a false idea of what meditation is all about. It is not a competition to see how long one can sit without moving. It is a method for one to deepen there all ready established practice of meditation. Some practice vipassana while some practice concentration or samadhi and others may practice mantra whatever your practice is, the long sit will deepen it.

 For some it may be best to have several different practice techniques in mind for this longer meditation. In the Anapanasati Sutta, translated as Mindfulness with Breathing, The Buddha skillfully laid out sixteen steps of meditation, four dealing with the body, and four dealing with Feelings, four dealing with mind states and four dealing with Dhamma. These are areas of exploration and investigation that can take a life time to fully understand, and I often suggest that one start with step one of the Anapanasati Sutta and spend approximately ten minutes exploring each of these areas of meditation. The best book on the subject as of yet, is Mindfulness with breathing By Buddhadasa Bhikku, further information about the Anapanasati sutta can be found in this site and this web page by clicking on [The anapanasati-in brief] or you can go to http://www.abhayagiri.org/index.php/main/article/2/%7C for more information on the Anapanasati ( breath meditation)

Comfort can be a major concern during the long sit so one should have a sitting technique that they know will work for them, this usually has to be learned by trial and error but one should listed to the body but not be tricked by it. The mind will sometimes tell you that there is discomfort in the body when in reality it is simply trying to distract you. So, every time you make a movement get in a habit of acknowledging to yourself before you move.Know that you are going to change your posture or itch your skin,  be completely mindful of your movement before you do any moving otherwise the mind will trick you again and again. There is nothing wrong with movement during a long meditation to relieve discomfort but if it is habitual, that is something that should be worked with.

Bring your personal meditation cushion and shawl if you regularly use one, water if you think you may get thirsty and dress comfortably.

The long sit is currently held on Thursday evenings at 7:00 till10:00 p.m. It is easy to get directions if you are not familiar with the Meditation learning center, simply email the address below.

If there are further questions about this or any other meditation practice as well as the exact locations, please send an e-mail;

I look forward to hearing from you.